In the first deal of its kind, the San Jose, California based Winchester Mystery House considered the “world’s most haunted house” is authorizing Hammer, an Exclusive Media company, the use of its unique property for a feature film based on its legendary story. Hammer has optioned all rights to develop and produce the feature film with Imagination Design Works (IDW) and Nine/8 Entertainment, it was announced today by Simon Oakes, Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media and President & CEO of Hammer, and Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media.

Production on the supernatural horror film currently in development will be overseen by Exclusive Media’s Tobin Armbrust, President of Worldwide Production and Acquisitions, and Shira Rockowitz, Director of Development and Production. Brett Tomberlin and Antonia Lianos will produce for Imagination Design Works, Inc along with Andrew Trapani and Brian Gilbert for Nine/8 Entertainment.

“The Winchester House has a rich and compelling history.  The story behind how it was built has attracted a great deal of attention over the years and we are excited to bring that mythology to film,” said Tobin Armbrust.  “We are also thrilled, and terrified, that the House has allowed us to film on the premises”.

“We are extremely excited to be partnering with Exclusive Media to bring the story of the Winchester Mystery House to a global audience.  For many years, the mystique and history of this unique venue, and its owner Sarah Winchester, could be experienced only by those visiting the site.  Now, with a film shot in and around the House, Sarah’s spirit will be brought back to life, and the audience will see first-hand this stunning and bizarre house,” said Brett Tomberlin, President, Imagination Design Works.

The Winchester Mystery House has a startling history and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. Popular belief holds that Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, was convinced she was haunted by the spirits of those killed by “the gun that won the west.”  Following a Medium’s advice, Sarah built a massive house in Northern California to appease the spirits.  For the next 38 years, she never stopped building believing that if she continued, she would live forever, and if she stopped, she would die. Known as the “house built for the spirits,” there have been many inexplicable ghost sightings and to this day, visitors share their terrifying stories of having been in the presence of these departed souls who continue to roam the grounds of the intricate and enigmatic house.

Imagination Design Works, Inc. organizes the famous “Fright Nights,” a special ticketed event held at the Winchester Mystery House during the month of October, providing a true Halloween experience to visitors.

Andrew Trapani of Nine/8 Entertainment previously produced THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT for Lionsgate. Released in Spring 2009 and starring Oscar Nominee Virginia Madsen, HAUNTING opened as the #2 film in the U.S., generating over $23M at the box office in its opening weekend of release and is now amongst the top grossing films in Lionsgate history. Trapani also recently produced THE CHOSEN ONE, an animated film for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

Upcoming projects include executive producing the TV series, “Wallace,” based on the life of Scotsman William Wallace, created and written by Mick Davis, the original supernatural thriller CANDLE, and a biopic about famed auto-maker John DeLorean. Trapani began his entertainment career as a video game designer and producer for Crystal Dynamics, Inc where he oversaw the development and production of some of the first Sony Playstation games.

Brian Gilbert most recently produced Warner Bros. Premiere/Cartoon Network’s “Scooby Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster” and “Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins.” His past film credits include the horror film WRONG TURN starring Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku and Jeremy Sisto released by 20^th Century Fox and nominated for Best Film at the Sitges Catalonian International Film Festival, as well as THE DEATHS OF IAN STONE starring Mike Vogel, Jaime Murray and Christina Cole released by After Dark Films. Gilbert is also executive producer alongside Trapini on “Wallace” and produced as well as directed THE CHOSEN ONE.

Exclusive Media is a major force in the production and international distribution arena. Recent production titles include the box office hit THE WOMAN IN BLACK starring Daniel Radcliffe, and George Clooney’s THE IDES OF MARCH produced by Smokehouse Pictures and co-produced by Exclusive Media with Cross Creek Pictures.

Other Hammer productions in the works include THE QUIET ONES to be directed by John Pogue starring Jared Harris, BONESHAKER to be produced with Cross Creek Pictures, GASLIGHT written by newcomer Ian Fried and the newly announced THE WOMAN IN BLACK: ANGELS OF DEATH, to be produced with Talisman, Cross Creek Pictures and Alliance Films.

Exclusive Media’s current production slate includes Ron Howard’s epic RUSH starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and produced with production partners Cross Creek Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Brian Grazer, and Revolution Films; END OF WATCH starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera set for release through Open Road Films on September 28; SO UNDERCOVER starring Miley Cyrus and SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in post-production.

Other recent titles from Exclusive Media’s documentary film division, Spitfire Pictures, include the Academy Award winning UNDEFEATED currently in release through The Weinstein Company, the Grammy Award winning FOO FIGHTERS: BACK AND FORTH produced in association with Allentown Productions and Martin Scorsese’s award winning GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD produced by Martin Scorsese, Nigel Sinclair and Olivia Harrison.

IDW is represented by Alexa Pagonas at Michael Black Management with Allison Binder representing Nine/8 Entertainment.

ABOUT HAMMER

Originally founded in 1934, legendary British film studio Hammer has delivered a hugely successful run of films over the years including Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, One Million Years B.C. and The Vampire Lovers. Since 2008, the company has been part of Exclusive Media, which is reinvigorating this beloved global brand through investment across both traditional and new media.

Not in production since the 1980s, Hammer marked their return to features in 2010 with the release of the critically acclaimed Let Me In, an adaptation of the highly praised Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in. The film was written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road).

In 2011, Hammer released Antti Jokinen’s The Resident starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the critically lauded Wake Wood directed by David Keating and starring Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall.

February 2012 saw the theatrical release of Hammer’s first ever feature ghost story The Woman In Black, directed by James Watkins, adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, and starring Daniel Radcliffe. The film has taken over $ 100mm worldwide making it one of the biggest indie horror films.

Hammer recently launched a new publishing imprint through Random House which has already published eight books. In February 2012 the imprint published its first original title with the much-praised “The Greatcoat” by Helen Dunmore, which will be followed by an original novel about the Pendle witches, by Jeanette Winterson, and “Coldbrook” by Tim Lebbon. Also publishing in 2012 are further new novelisations of classic Hammer films.

Hammer is also broadening its reach, with plans for a Hammer Theatre of Horror and a Hammer visitor attraction, as well as continuing to honour the company’s legacy with re-releases of classic films, official histories, merchandise, screenings and social media engagement.

For further information about Hammer and its parent company Exclusive Media, please visit www.hammerfilms.com and www.exclusivemedia.com

ABOUT EXCLUSIVE MEDIA

Exclusive Media is a vertically integrated global film entertainment company, founded in May 2008 with the backing of the strategic investment group Cyrte Investments.  Exclusive Media develops, finances, produces, markets and distributes prestige and talent driven commercial and documentary feature films on a global basis.

Exclusive Media is run by a five member Executive Board with Nigel Sinclair as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Guy East as Co-Chairman, Simon Oakes as Vice Chairman and President of Hammer, Marc Schipper as Chief Operating Officer, and Randy Hermann as Chief Financial Officer.  Supporting the Executive Board in both the operational management and strategic expansion of the business is a strong team of highly skilled professionals who have a broad range of complementary experience.

Exclusive Media’s development and production activities operate through three specialist labels: UK based Hammer for genre titles, Spitfire Pictures for documentary features and the flagship label Exclusive Media for all other feature film production.

Exclusive Media’s international sales & distribution division maintains a strong marketing presence and represents the group’s in-house productions plus its growing library of over 550 titles, as well as actively acquiring third party feature films to further strengthen its international distribution slate.

ABOUT IMAGINATION DESIGN WORKS, INC.

Imagination Design Works (IDW) is an independent production company formed for the purpose of creating feature length motion pictures, television programming and stage productions. Among its many unique projects, IDW represents the Winchester Mystery House, and was the first entity to broker the rights for a feature length film about and at the location.

ABOUT NINE/8 ENTERTAINMENT

Nine/8 Entertainment is a production and management company cofounded in 2008 by producers Brian J. Gilbert and Andrew Trapani. Specializing in development and production of content, Nine/8 brings decades of experience to feature film, television, video game and commercial production.

Nine/8 Entertainment co-founders are best known for such features films as The Haunting in Connecticut (Lionsgate),Scooby Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster and Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins (Warner Premiere/Cartoon Network). In association with No Regrets Entertainment, the pair also produced and Gilbert co-directed The Chosen One, an animated short, for the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA franchise.Trapani and Gilbert are Executive Producers on the recently announced historical drama series, Wallace, in cooperation with Creative Media, Scottish Television and DRG.

Production begins next week in the U.K. on Focus Features and Working Title Films’ untitled international suspense thriller starring Eric Bana (of Focus’ Hanna) and Golden Globe Award nominee Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Town) for director John Crowley (Boy A). The original screenplay is by Steven Knight, Academy Award nominee for Dirty Pretty Things and BIFA Award nominee for Focus’ Eastern Promises.

Rounding out the cast are British Independent Film Award nominee Riz Ahmed (Four Lions); Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent (Iris); Olivier Award nominee Kenneth Cranham (An Inspector Calls); BAFTA Award nominee Anne-Marie Duff (Nowhere Boy); in his fifth film for Focus, Ciarán Hinds (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy); and Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee Julia Stiles (Dexter). Adriano Goldman (Focus’ Jane Eyre) is the feature’s cinematographer; Jim Clay and Natalie Ward, both of Focus’ The Debt, are the production designer and costume designer, respectively.

Mr. Bevan and Mr. Fellner are producing the film with Chris Clark (The Guard), and Working Title’s Liza Chasin is executive producer. Focus holds worldwide rights to the feature, and will commence overseas sales at the Cannes International Film Festival in May.

In the thriller, two ex-lovers, Martin (to be played by Mr. Bana) and Claudia (Ms. Hall), find their loyalties tested and their lives at risk when they are joined together on the defense team in a terrorism trial.

Working Title Films, co-chaired by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner since 1992, is one of the world’s leading film production companies. Founded in 1983, Working Title has made nearly 100 films that have grossed over $5 billion worldwide. Its films have won 6 Academy Awards, 30 BAFTA Awards, and prestigious prizes at the Cannes and Berlin International Film Festivals. The company’s 2012 slate includes Baltasar Kormákur’s Contraband, starring Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale, which recently posted the company’s all-time biggest domestic box office opening weekend; Les Misérables, directed by Tom Hooper and starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway; and Joe Wright’s epic love story Anna Karenina, starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law, and Aaron Johnson.

Upcoming Focus releases include Moonrise Kingdom, the new feature from Wes Anderson that will world-premiere as the opening-night film of the 2012 Cannes International Film Festival, starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Jason Schwartzman; Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley; Sam Fell and Chris Butler’s ParaNorman, the new 3D stop-motion comedy thriller from animation company LAIKA; Jamie Travis’ contemporary comedy For a Good Time, Call…, starring Ari Graynor and Lauren Anne Miller; the historical tale Hyde Park on Hudson, directed by Roger Michell and starring Academy Award nominees Bill Murray and Laura Linney; and the aforementioned Anna Karenina.

Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media and Simon Oakes, Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media and President & CEO of Hammer announced today that Hammer’s latest supernatural thriller/horror, The Quiet Ones, will be presented for the first time at the upcoming European Film Market (EFM).

Written and to be directed by John Pogue (Quarantine 2) and produced by James Gay-Rees (Senna, Exit Through The Gift Shop) The Quiet Ones marks Hammer’s follow up to Daniel Radcliffe starrer The Woman in Black, which was released last weekend in the US on 3,000 screens grossing an outstanding $21M.

Inspired by true events, The Quiet Ones tells the story of an unorthodox professor who uses controversial methods and leads his best students off the grid to take part in a dangerous experiment: to create a poltergeist. Based on the theory that paranormal activity is caused by human negative energy, the rogue scientists perform a series of tests on a young patient, pushing her to the edge of sanity. As frightening occurrences begin to take place with shocking and gruesome consequences, the group quickly realizes they have triggered a force more terrifying and evil than they ever could have imagined.

Exclusive Media’s President of Worldwide Production & Acquisitions, Tobin Armbrust, will oversee production alongside Director of Development, Shira Rockowitz. Nancy Nayor has commenced casting on the film which is currently in pre-production and will start shooting in May 2012 inSouth Africa.

Alex Walton, President of International Sales and Distribution, will handle the international sales at EFM.

John Pogue said: “The Quiet Ones will take its audience on a thrilling ride of jumps, scares and eerie tingles which combined with set-pieces of unbearable tension will propel them through the shadowy chambers that imprison the tortured mind.  It’s a dark and claustrophobic picture which will portray how human desire can become trapped in an insidious world of its own creation and how you should always…be careful what you wish for.”

Simon Oakes, President & CEO of Hammer and Vice Chairman of Exclusive Media said: “We can’t wait to showcase The Quiet Ones at EFM. It’s an incredibly chilling and sinister picture that we are proud to be a part of.”

Exclusive Media is a major force in the production and international distribution arena. Other recent production titles include George Clooney’s THE IDES OF MARCH produced by Smokehouse Pictures and co-produced by Exclusive Media with Cross Creek Pictures, the newly announced CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? starring Scarlett Johansson  and Mark Ruffalo, Ron Howard’s epic RUSH starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and produced with production partners Cross Creek Pictures, Revolution Films, Imagine and Working Title; END OF WATCH starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera; SO UNDERCOVER starring Miley Cyrus; SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in post production; and BONESHAKER to be produced with Cross Creek Pictures.

EXCLUSIVE MEDIA’S HAMMER PRODUCTION LABEL ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO BLACKLIST SCREENPLAY ‘GASLIGHT’

HAMMER TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE THE HORROR FEATURE FILM

Iconic production company Hammer, an Exclusive Media company, has acquired the rights to GASLIGHT, an original screenplay written by newcomer Ian Fried, it was announced today by Simon Oakes, Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media and President & CEO of Hammer, and Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media.  Hammer will develop and produce GASLIGHT for the big screen.

The screenplay landed on Hollywood’s Blacklist of the best unproduced scripts in 2011 and is an atmospheric thriller in the vein of FROM HELL meets THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Secretly imprisoned in a London insane asylum, the infamous Jack the Ripper helps Scotland Yard investigators solve a series of grisly murders whose victims all share the iconic death brand: dual puncture wounds to the neck.

Tobin Armbrust, President of Worldwide Production & Acquisitions of Exclusive Media, Hammer’s parent company, will oversee the project for Hammer.

Armbrust commented, “Ian’s script is an atmospheric thriller that reads like a Gothic SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.  He does a fantastic job of weaving iconic characters into a plausible and entertaining story.”

The project was brought to Exclusive Media, by the company’s Creative Executive, Jennifer Ruper.

Ian Fried is currently writing an original supernatural action project called SPECTRAL for Legendary Pictures. His previous script, THE EVER AFTER MURDERS, featuring fairy tale characters investigating murder scenes, also landed on Hollywood’s Black List in 2010.

Fried is repped by Daniel Cohan and Mike Esola at WME, Prolific Entertainment and attorney Eric Suddleson.

Hammer most recently produced the chilling ghost story THE WOMAN IN BLACK starring Daniel Radcliffe that opened this weekend in the US taking over $21m at the US box office.

Hammer’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s classic novel, starring Daniel Radcliffe, opened on almost 3000 screens through CBS Films with a per screen average of approximately $7,400, and also took the number one position in the Canadian box office.

This weekend’s three day gross makes The Woman in Black the highest opening ever for a Hammer film in the US and one of the very few British films that has broken the $20m opening weekend threshold.

Directed by James Watkins and adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a Hammer, Alliance Films, The UK Film Council presentation, in association with Cross Creek Pictures. A Talisman production in association with Exclusive Media, producers are Richard Jackson, Simon Oakes and Brian Oliver. Executive Producers are Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, Marc Schipper, Neil Dunn, Xavier Marchand, Roy Lee and Tyler Thompson.

Exclusive Media is a major force in the production and international distribution arena. Other recent production titles include George Clooney’s THE IDES OF MARCH produced by Smokehouse Pictures and co-produced by Exclusive Media with Cross Creek Pictures, the newly announced CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? starring Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson, Ron Howard’s epic RUSH starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and produced with production partners Cross Creek Pictures, Revolution Films, Imagine and Working Title; END OF WATCH starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera; SO UNDERCOVER starring Miley Cyrus; SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in post production; and BONESHAKER to be produced with Cross Creek Pictures.

Recent titles from Exclusive Media’s documentary film division, Spitfire Pictures, include the Academy Award Nominated UNDEFEATED set for release through The Weinstein Company on February 17^th and Martin Scorsese’s award winning GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD produced by Martin Scorsese, Nigel Sinclair and Olivia Harrison.

ABOUT HAMMER

Originally founded in 1934, legendary British film studio Hammer has delivered a hugely successful run of films over the years including Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, One Million Years B.C. and The Vampire Lovers. Since 2008, the company has been part of Exclusive Media which is reinvigorating this beloved global brand through investment across both traditional and new media.

Not in production since the 1980s, Hammer marked their return to features in 2010 with the release of the critically acclaimed Let Me In, an adaptation of the highly praised Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in. The film was written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road).

In 2011, Hammer released Antti Jokinen’s The Resident starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the critically lauded Wake Wood directed by David Keating and starring Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall.

February 2012 sees the theatrical release of Hammer’s first ever feature ghost story The Woman in Black, directed by James Watkins, adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, and starring Daniel Radcliffe.

Hammer recently launched a new publishing imprint through Random House which has already published eight books. In 2012 the imprint publishes its first original titles with “The Greatcoat” by Helen Dunmore, an original novel about the Pendle witches by Jeanette Winterson and “Coldbrook” by Tim Lebbon. Also publishing in 2012 are further new novelisations of classic Hammer films.

Hammer is also broadening its reach, with plans for a Hammer Theatre of Horror and a Hammer visitor attraction, as well as continuing to honour the company’s legacy with re-releases of classic films, official histories, merchandise, screenings and social media engagement.

For further information about Hammer and its parent company Exclusive Media, please visit www.hammerfilms.com and www.exclusivemedia.com

ABOUT EXCLUSIVE MEDIA

Exclusive Media is a vertically integrated global filmed entertainment company, founded in May 2008 with the backing of the strategic investment group Cyrte Investments.  Exclusive Media develops, finances, produces, markets and distributes prestige and talent driven commercial and documentary feature films on a global basis.

Exclusive Media is run by a five member Executive Board with Nigel Sinclair as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Guy East as Co-Chairman, Simon Oakes as Vice Chairman and President of Hammer, Marc Schipper as Chief Operating Officer, and Randy Hermann as Chief Financial Officer.  Supporting the Executive Board in both the operational management and strategic expansion of the business is a strong team of highly skilled professionals who have a broad range of complementary experience.

Exclusive Media’s development and production activities operate through three specialist labels: UK based Hammer for genre titles, Spitfire Pictures for documentary features and the flagship label Exclusive Media for all other feature film production.

Exclusive Media’s international sales & distribution division maintains a strong marketing presence and represents the group’s in-house productions plus its growing library of over 550 titles, as well as actively acquiring third party feature films to further strengthen its international distribution slate.

For further information about the company, our slate of films, library and our experienced management team please visit www.exclusivemedia.com

Hey horror hounds! Courtesy of our friends at Entertainment Weekly here’s our first look at the cast of Tim Burton’s big screen version of the small screen classic, DARK SHADOWS. Now this is not the first time the Collins clan have made it to the movies. In 1970 MGM released HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS based on the daytime drama and starring most of the TV cast. NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS followed.

Here’s a bit of background on the cult favorite. Dan Curtis (BURNT OFFERINGS) created the “soap opera ” which debuted on ABC-TV in 1966. The main focus of the first episodes was the arrival of Victoria Winters in Collinsport, ME and her interactions with the secretive Collins family. The program languished at the bottom of the ratings until Curtis, in order to save the show from cancellation,decided to take a gamble and introduce a vampire into the Gothic series. Barnabas Collins as played by veteran stage actor Jonathan Frid caused a sensation on the daytime TV landscape. Youngsters flocked to the show, turning the mature Frid into a teen idol (featured many times on the cover of Tiger Beat and other magazines) and giving the producer a merchandising bonanza. Board games, model kits, comic books, paperback novels, and posters flooded the stores. There was even a comic strip in daily newspapers! A record album of the show’s eerie score by Robert Colbert was a huge hit and spawned a top 40 single, “Quentin’s Theme”. Unfortunately not even the additon of witches, werewolves, and other ghoulies could keep the mania going and the final episode aired in 1971.

Ah, but like any good vampire Barnabas did return. The show was soon syndicated to local stations. Devoted fans staged conventions featuring reunions of the cast members. Innovation produced new comic books in 1991. NBC revived the show as a prime time hour long drama in early 1991 while Warner Brothers TV produced a new two hour pilot film that never aired.

And now,long time fan Tim Burton is taking this Gothic epic to the big screen. Lets’ take a look at the residents of Collinwood. Starting from the far left is Helena Bonham Carter (THE KING”S SPEECH) as Dr. Julia Hoffman, psychiatrist, friend of the Collins family and (in the TV show) an aide of Barnabas. Next is Chloe Maretz (LET ME IN) as Carolyn Stoddard followed by Eva Green (CASINO ROYALE) as Angelique Bouchard, the witch who cursed Barnabas. The young lad is the disturbed David Collins played by Gulliver McGrath with his governess Victoria Winters played by Bella Heathcote (she’s also the spitting image of Barnabas’s long lost love Josette). Speaking of Barnabas, in the center is Johnny Depp (THE TOURIST) as the centuries old vampire. Seated is the family housekeeper Mrs. Johnson played by Ray Shirley. Next is Collinwood groundskeeper Willie (yup, Groundskeeper Willie!) Loomis played by Jackie Earle Haley (WATCHMEN) who releases Barnabas and soon becomes his ‘ familiar’. He’s followed by Roger Collins played by Jonny Lee Miller (TRAINSPOTTING) and family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard played by Michelle Pfieffer (BATMAN RETURNS).

Synopsis:

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

This group (along with horror film icon Christopher Lee and several original TV cast members) will welcome moviegoers back to Collinwood (cue the cascading waves and Colbert theme) when Warner Brothers releases the film on May 11, 2012

Stars Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson Once Again Gods at War

Film scheduled for a March 2012 Release

Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ epic action adventure sequel to “Clash of the Titans,” being directed by Jonathan Liebesman (“Battle: Los Angeles”). Returning to star in the film are Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) as Perseus, and Academy Award® nominees Ralph Fiennes (“The English Patient,” the “Harry Potter” films) as Hades and Liam Neeson (“Schindler’s List,” “Unknown”) as Zeus.

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus—the demigod son of Zeus—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.

Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.

Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalty and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.

Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Jonathan Liebesman directs the film from a screenplay by Dan Mazeau & David Leslie Johnson and Steven Knight, story Greg Berlanti & David Leslie Johnson & Dan Mazeau, based on the 2010 hit “Clash of the Titans” and the 1981 film of the same name, written by the late Beverley Cross.

The film is produced by Basil Iwanyk (“The Town”), who also produced the previous “Clash of the Titans,” and Polly Cohen Johnsen (“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”). The executive producers are Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, William Fay, Callum McDougall, Kevin De La Noy and Louis Leterrier.

Joining Worthington, Fiennes and Neeson in the international cast are Danny Huston (“Robin Hood”), reprising his role as Poseidon, god of the sea; Edgar Ramírez (“The Bourne Ultimatum,” TV miniseries “Carlos”) as the traitorous god of war, Ares; Bill Nighy (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1″) as Hephaestus, whose twisted, lame figure belies his Olympian origins; Toby Kebbell (“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”) as Agenor, imprisoned thief and son of Poseidon who joins Perseus on his journey to Tartarus; and Rosamund Pike (“Barney’s Version”) as Andromeda, the princess whose life Perseus once saved, and who now, as a queen, follows Perseus into battle.

The behind-the-scenes team bringing this mythical epic to life includes director of photography Ben Davis (“The Rite,” “Kick Ass”); production designer Charles Wood (“The Italian Job,” “The A-Team”); Academy Award®-winning editor Martin Walsh (“Chicago,” “V for Vendetta”); and costume designer Jany Temime (the “Harry Potter” films). “Clash of the Titans 2″ also reunites several talents from the previous film, including Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Nick Davis (“The Dark Knight,”); Oscar®-nominated prosthetics supervisor Conor O’Sullivan (“The Dark Knight,” “Saving Private Ryan”); and Academy Award®-winning special effects and animatronics supervisor Neil Corbould (“Gladiator”). Also on board are Oscar®-nominated makeup designer Paul Engelen (“Frankenstein,” “Robin Hood”) and hair designer Kevin Alexander (“Robin Hood,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”).

“Clash of the Titans 2″ will be filming in studios outside London and will later shoot on location in Surrey, South Wales and in the Spanish Canary Islands on the island of Tenerife. The film is currently scheduled for release in March 2012.

A Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Thunder Road Film, “Clash of the Titans 2″ is being co-produced by Furia de Titanes II, A.I.E. and COTT Productions and will be distributed in 3D and 2D worldwide by Warner Bros. Entertainment Companies.

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

Walt Disney Studios just emailed WAMG this official statement: 

Walt Disney Studios has acquired and is in development on the science fiction project THE RUNNER. Disney is currently collaborating with writer Dave Andron, Apparatus Entertainment’s Marc Forster (QUANTUM OF SOLACE) and Brad Simpson, Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, and Blacklight Transmedia’s Zak Kadison and Eric Lieb.

Marc Forster is currently in post-production on MACHINE GUN PREACHER starring Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon. We’ll be sharing more details on THE RUNNER project in the coming future.

GLENDALE, Calif., March 3, 2011: DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. today announced that it will bring RUMBLEWICK to the big screen. Director Tim Johnson (Over The Hedge, Antz) and writer Jim Herzfeld (Meet the Fockers, Meet the Parents) are collaborating on the feature project, which is inspired by the children’s book, “My Unwilling Witch (The Rumblewick Letters)” by Hiawyn Oram and Sarah Warburton. DreamWorks Animation development executives Chris Kuser and Gregg Taylor are overseeing the project at the studio.

“The fascinating world of witches and witches’ familiars is perfectly suited for the medium of animation, where anything goes,” said DreamWorks Animation’s Chief Creative Officer, Bill Damaschke. “Combined with the magically creative and comedic sensibilities of Tim Johnson and Jim Herzfeld, we look forward to bringing the world of Rumblewick to life.”

“The odds are stacked against our main character, a hard-working rabbit. Telling the story of his struggle and triumph is a fantastic journey. I know audiences are going to fall in love with Rumblewick,” added Tim Johnson.

Synopsis:

Rumblewick will follow the adventures of a magician’s rabbit for whom the invitation to learn real magic and train as a witch’s familiar seems like a dream come true! But the dream becomes a nightmare when he discovers he’s really a pawn in a game between rival witches. Having learned the hard way that when something seems too good to be true it probably is, he must outsmart them both to save his fuzzy little hide.

About DreamWorks Animation SKG:

DreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including CG animated feature films, television specials and series, live entertainment properties and online virtual worlds, meant for audiences around the world. The Company has world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced filmmaking technology and techniques. DreamWorks Animation has been named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by FORTUNE® Magazine for three consecutive years. In 2011, DreamWorks Animation ranks #10 on the list. All of DreamWorks Animation’s feature films are now being produced in 3D. The Company has theatrically released a total of 21 animated feature films, including the franchise properties of Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.

Wow! With the mouthpiece and hair, Meryl Streep looks just like former British Prime Minister, Lady Margaret Thatcher. Uncanny resemblance.  

From Pathe’:

“The prospect of exploring the swathe cut through history by this remarkable woman is a daunting and exciting challenge. I am trying to approach the role with as much zeal, fervour and attention to detail as the real Lady Thatcher possesses – I can only hope my stamina will begin to approach her own!”
MERYL STREEP

Pathé announces that principal photography has begun on THE IRON LADY. Written by award-winning writer Abi Morgan (Sex Traffic, Brick Lane, White Girl), directed by Phyllida Lloyd CBE (Mamma Mia) and produced by Damian Jones (The History Boys, Adulthood). The film will be executive produced by Francois Ivernel and Cameron McCracken for Pathé, by Tessa Ross for Film4 and by Adam Kulick for Goldcrest.

THE IRON LADY tells the compelling story of Margaret Thatcher, a woman who smashed through the barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world. The story concerns power and the price that is paid for power, and is a surprising and intimate portrait of an extraordinary and complex woman.

The film stars Academy Award-winners Meryl Streep as Lady Thatcher and Jim Broadbent as Denis Thatcher. Their young selves are played by Alexandra Roach and Harry Lloyd. The rest of the cast of family and friends, politicians and advisers, is made up of the very best of British acting talent, including: Olivia Colman, Nicholas Farrell, Susan Brown, Roger Allam, Anthony Head, Julian Wadham, Pip Torrens, Nick Dunning, Richard E Grant, David Westhead, Angus Wright and John Sessions.

The fllm is a Pathé, Film4, UK Film Council presentaton with the partcipaton of Canal+ and Cine Cinema in associaton with Goldcrest Film Producton LLP of a DJ Films Producton.

Pathé will distribute the film in France; and Fox will distribute the film in the UK on behalf of Pathé. Pathé Internatonal will handle Internatonal sales. Shooting began on location in the UK on 31st January 2011

The film already has a site where you can follow it’s progress at The Iron Lady Movie – Official Blog, on Facebook HERE and on Twitter HERE.

Photo Courtesy: Alex Bailey

The Hollywood Reporter has this news on the latest SPIDER MAN casting.

Martin Sheen is in final negotiations to play Uncle Ben in Columbia’s new Spider-man movie.

In Spider-Man lore, Uncle Ben, along with Aunt May, is responsible for bringing up Peter Parker. His death at the hands of a burglar is the key event that turns Parker, who until then was using his newfound super-powers for personal gain, to step onto the path of heroism.

Sally Field as Aunt May?

The actress is in early talks to play Peter Parker’s beloved aunt in the new Spider-Man movie. Field’s last major studio role was in 2003’s Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, although she did star in the 2006 indie drama Two Weeks. She is more recently known for her work on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters.

Sheen and Field will join a cast that includes Andrew Garfield as Parker, Emma Stone as love interest Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as the movie’s unnamed villain.

The movie, under the direction of Marc Webb, is heading for a December start.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

The Master of Horror is set to bring you the girl of your dreams. John Carpenter is onboard to direct DARKCHYLDE, based on the comic by Randy Queen about a good hearted southern teen cursed to become the creatures from her many recurring nightmares. Every time Ariel Chylde transforms, she sheds her skin and a new nightmare emerges from her Id to act out her deepest, darkest impulses.

John Carpenter and Sandy King’s Storm King Productions have allied with Randy and Sarah Queen’s Darkchylde Ent. to produce the film, following the release of test footage created by Richard Taylor’s Academy Award Winning Weta Workshop. (The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, King Kong, The Hobbit)

John Carpenter says, “Randy Queen’s hijacked angel, Ariel Chylde, is the best young female character since Laurie Strode in Halloween. Bringing Ariel and her dark mysteries to life should be quite an adventure for us all.”

Adds Queen, “I’m beyond thrilled that John Carpenter, one of our most important, and legendary genre directors, and the man responsible for such landmark films as THE THING, and HALLOWEEN has come onboard with Weta Workshop to help bring the nightmarish tale of Ariel Chylde to the silver screen. As a horror fan, the thought of Carpenter and Weta together, beautiful dreamscapes, and multiple transformations, makes me incredibly excited. There is a reason nearly his entire catalogue has, or is being remade, and it’s because Carpenter is a genius.”

Offering a stark contrast to super hero comics, Darkchylde was a breakout sensation of the late 90′s and early 2000′s, garnering immediate acclaim, and an unusually large female fanbase. The property went on to outsell Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman in both domestic and foreign audiences, and has been realized in toys, trading cards, apparel, lunch boxes, mini busts, and more recently a hit crossover with Top Cow, and a statue from PopCultureShockToys. Fans can now read the Ariel Chylde saga online via Wowio and Darkchylde.com and a trade paperback collecting the “Legacy” and “Redemption” series of books ships in January from Image Comics.

John Carpenter is an acclaimed director, screenwriter, producer, and composer, who won an academy award for his short film while still just a student at USC. His storied career includes such seminal films as Halloween, The Thing, Escape from New York, Starman, Christine, In the Mouth of Madness, Assault on Precinct 13, They Live, and The Fog. His most recent outing, The Ward, starring Amber Heard as an institutionalized woman tormented by a sinister spirit, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Watch New Zealand’s WETA test footage for DARKCHYLDE

The LA Times/Hero Complex site is reporting that the title of the new film is THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. “We will be shooting and exhibiting the film in 2D,” Nolan said of the third Batman film, which is planned for 2012 release.

…though the Gotham City auteur isn’t ready to reveal the villain of his 2012 film, he did eliminate one of the big contenders: “It won’t be the Riddler,” Nolan said in an exclusive interview with Hero Complex.

Nolan was most eager to talk about the fact that Warner Bros. had agreed with his argument that the film should resist the current 3-D craze and instead use high-definition approaches and IMAX cameras to strike out on a different cinematic path than the stereoscopic technology that, for better or worse, has become the dominant conversation in the blockbuster sector. As for the title, it shows the writer-director’s intention to keep his Bruce Wayne trilogy tightly stitched together. “We’ll use many of the same characters as we have all along, and we’ll be introducing some new ones,” Nolan said cryptically.  I had an odd thought: What if Nolan somehow brings back Harvey Dent? The only reason I even mention it is because, back during post-production on the second film, Nolan told me that the title THE DARK KNIGHT was just as much about Dent and his fall from the status of shining-knight civic crusader. Dent was plainly dead at the end of the last film, though, and Nolan has been intent on keeping his Gotham City film firmly rooted in a gritty gangland realism– this isn’t a franchise that has veered off into the supernatural or even much super-science.

Nolan plays things close to the vest — he’s one of the few filmmakers of his generation who actually does wear a vest — and he chuckled when I tried to get a few more details out of him. “Oh, you know me, I don’t talk.” He began our conversation by comparing it with a visit to the dentist’s office. Well, if so, he’s a patient who never opens wide. I asked if he could imagine a time when Warner Bros. would let a filmmaker shoot a Batman script where the villain isn’t one of the signature creations from the comic books. “Ah, Geoff Boucher, master of the leading question,” he said with a chuckle. That’s when he did agree, however, to eliminate a villain candidate, namely Edward Nigma, the green-suited Riddler, who many people (myself included) assumed was the next natural choice.

That character could be taken in a lot of directions — think of Kevin Spacey’s character in “Seven” as a compass point for one of those dark paths — but Nolan and his team are going a different way. As with “Dark Knight,” the new film has a script written by Nolan and his brother, Jonah, and it’s based on a story by the director and David Goyer. Earlier, I got Nolan to take Mr. Freeze off the list and, yes, this is like pulling teeth but don’t think for a minute that I mind. Nolan makes sublime films, and any secrets he wants to keep in place are done so to protect the final product.

Source: LA Times/Hero Complex

“Lost” star Josh Holloway is joining the cast of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 4 according to THR.

In his first major screen role since wrapping the ABC show, Holloway is in final negotiations to act as a member of the Impossible Mission Force, the secret agent task force headed by Tom Cruise. Story details are being kept in a self-destructable vault thus no information on Holloway’s character was available.

J.J. Abrams, who is producing with Cruise and Paula Wagner, worked on the story with scribes Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum, who have written the screenplay. IMPOSSIBLE will be the first studio picture for Holloway, who spent six seasons as heartthrob anti-hero Sawyer on “Lost,” which was exec produced by Abrams.

Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames will return to the Paramount Pictures’ franchise as well as newcomers Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Vladimir Mashkov. The Brad Bird film will begin shooting this fall in Vancouver, Prague and the recently announced Dubai.

Look for MI4 in theaters December 2011.

Photo Courtesy: JustJared

Empire Online has some interesting news on SHERLOCK HOLMES 2.

According to Dr. Watson himself, Jude Law, cameras will start rolling on Sherlock Holmes 2 substantially earlier than the mooted December start date.

Law revealed that principal photography will kick off in the autumn. “It looks likely that we’re going to shoot the second Sherlock Holmes in October,” he told Empire’s own Damon Wise, suggesting that Guy Ritchie and his writers aren’t too far off a completed script and some intriguing casting announcements.

On his own personal work schedule, Law said:

“I’ve had a long period of doing nothing, which has been self-imposed and wonderfully rewarding, I have to say, but mostly so because I’ve got a very busy second half of the year coming up. I’m working with [Martin] Scorsese on his new film Hugo Cabret, which I believe is his first film for children. I don’t want to give too much away, but I play Hugo Cabret’s father.” Then comes Sherlock Holmes 2, followed by Steven Soderbergh’s actioner Contagion. “It’s an ensemble piece about the spread of a H1N1-type disease on an international scale. So it’s going to be a very busy second half of the year; very lazy first half of the year.”

Law was making an appearance at the 45th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to accept the prestigious Festival President’s Award and to introduce a screening of Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Source: EMPIRE ONLINE

After months of casting speculation, Marvel has confirmed that Tommy Lee Jones will indeed play Colonel Phillips in CAPTAIN AMERICA: FIRST AVENGER.

Press Release:

Marvel Studios announced today that Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones has been cast to star as US Army Colonel Chester Phillips in the studio’s highly anticipated movie Captain America: The First Avenger opposite Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan and Stanley Tucci. In the early comics, Phillips recruited Steve Rogers to join Project Rebirth, the secret experiment that created the Super Soldier known as Captain America. The character will be updated for the film. Joe Johnston will direct the film penned by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.

Captain America: The First Avenger will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

Tommy Lee Jones’ will next be seen in The Company Men and is well known for starring in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, the MEN IN BLACK franchise, and THE FUGITIVE for which he won an Academy Award.

In addition to Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel Studios most recently released the highly anticipated sequel, IRON MAN 2, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow on May 7, 2010, and will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including THOR on May 6, 2011, and MARVEL STUDIOS’ THE AVENGERS on May 4, 2012.

Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige will produce Captain America: The First Avenger. Alan Fine, Stan Lee, David Maisel, Nigel Gostelow and Louis D’Esposito will executive produce. The film will be released in the US on July 22, 2011 and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Source: EW/Hollywood Insider

THR’s Heat Vision Blog is reporting that actors Freida Pinto (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) and John Lithgow (Dexter) have joined the cast of 20th Century Fox’s PLANET OF THE APES: RISE OF THE APES.

Rupert Wyatt will direct the feature, which focuses on a scientist (James Franco) who has been working on a cure for Alzheimer’s that is being tested on apes. The test subject named Caesar evolves rapidly, and the scientist takes him home to live with him and protects him from cruel doctors. Lithgow will play Franco’s Alzheimer’s-stricken father. Pinto is the movie’s female lead, a primatologist.

The prequel is designed to be show the modern-day event that set in motion the eventual dominance of apes over humans seen the classic 1960s and ’70s movies. It is unclear how much of the movie will focus on the ape inciting an ape revolution, but given that effects company WETA is on board, the monkey play could be significant. The apes will not be actors in costumes but rather rendered digitally to be photo-realistic by WETA, employing certain of the groundbreaking technologies developed for Avatar.

RISE OF THE APES begins shooting sometime this summer in British Columbia. Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark will produce for Chernin Entertainment under its new pact with Fox. Acclaimed filmmaker Rupert Wyatt (THE ESCAPIST) is directing from a screenplay by Amanda Silver & Rick Jaffa, who also are producing.

20th Century Fox will release RISE OF THE APES into theaters on June 24, 2011.

Heat Vision of The Hollywood Reporter has some exclusive news that director M. Night Shyamalan has his next script in the bag along with some A-list talent already attached.

THR says:

Shyamalan is quietly circulating a new script around town. No details are known about the project, but it comes with some major acting talent: We’ve learned that Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bruce Willis are loosely attached to star in the film.

Shyamalan is famously secretive, and this project is no exception: Only top studio execs have read the script, and they were required to allow a Shyamalan assistant to supervise the process. When the execs finished reading, the assistant took the script back and left.

Right now, THE LAST AIRBENDER marketing is all over the place. Paramount Pictures has tv spots running non-stop, including The World Cup, for the July 1st release date. Much is riding on this big-tentpole, cgi extravaganza. But here’s the thing. M. Night Shyamalan’s name is still a part of all marketing campaigns and always has top billing over his film’s title.

As far as coming through with big name stars for the studios, THR smartly concluded,

with Cooper, Paltrow and Willis attached (the latter starred in the filmmaker’s breakthrough THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE), Shyamalan can still lure talent.

The Hollywood Reporter’s – Heat Vision has exclusively reported that John August is in negotiations with DreamWorks to write the studio’s feature film adaptation of MONSTERPOCALYPSE, a strategy game played with collectible miniature figures.

…the latest development raises the possibility that August will re-team with Tim Burton, whom DreamWorks has been wooing to take on the project as its director. DreamWorks, which grabbed film rights to the MONSTERPOCALYPSE property last month, hasn’t yet nailed down the ALICE IN WONDERLAND billion-dollar man. Talks are, however, ongoing.

Now read what John August had to say over on his official site:

As announced today, I’m going to be writing a big movie version of Monsterpocalypse for DreamWorks, based on Matt Wilson’s kaiju-themed giant-monsters-smashing things extravaganza. Wilson’s creation, published by Privateer Press, imagines the modern world under siege by super-sized creatures of every stripe. Giant apes, terrasaurs, planet-eating extraterrestrials? Check, check and check.

Plus robots. C’mon. You need robots.

Many of the elements are still being locked down, so there’s obviously a lot I can’t say about the movie yet: the plot, the players, what the humans are doing in all of this. Will every possible monster be in it? Logic would say no, but I can’t give you a list. What I can talk about is why the project is getting announced today, while so many others are kept under wraps.

August continued with:

As detailed in the article, Monsterpocalypse potentially affects many other tent pole movies at other studios in a way that’s certainly newsworthy. And while I’m hardly the biggest element in this, Monsterpocalypse will take me off the market for a year or so, and make it pretty much impossible for me to direct a movie in the near future.

So an article was going to be written regardless. Announcing the project allowed DreamWorks the chance to have some control over how the story got out. That’s the main and best reason to announce something.

Monsterpocalypse has been the fastest a movie has come together in my career, and I’m ridiculously excited to start writing it. But I’m also ridiculously excited to be writing the other things I’m working on, most of which have been kept very quiet.

Mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer has joined the Twitter and Facebook universe. In doing so, Jerry Bruckheimer Films recently posted on the official Facebook page these teaser stills from next summer’s PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES.

And this was posted just moments ago:

Shooting (on PIRATES 4) begins officially next week!

Check out AFI’s Tribute Reel to the man who brought us ARMAGEDDON, CRIMSON TIDE, CON-AIR, TOP GUN, BAD BOYS, and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. If you’re a Bruckheimer fan, it’s one of the coolest compilation videos you’ll ever see.

Variety recently reported that PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES will be shot in Disney Digital 3D, with photography set to begin in Hawaii in mid-June. The fourth film has Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in search of the Fountain of Youth.

New cast members:

Ian McShane – Blackbeard the Pirate 

Penélope Cruz – Angelica, Blackbeard’s daughter and Sparrow’s love interest

Stephen Graham – Scram, a Machiavellian pirate and Jack Sparrow sidekick

Astrid Bergès – Syrena, a mermaid 

Sam Claflin – Philip, a missionary

As of now, Keith Richards will reprise his role as Captain Teague from AT WORLD’S END.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, directed by Rob Marshall (CHICAGO), and written by PIRATE alums Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, look for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES to set sail into theaters on May 20, 2011.

To everyone’s shock (and horror), it was just one week ago (May 30th) when TheOneRing.net reported that Guillermo Del Toro would be vacating THE HOBBIT’s director chair.

“In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming THE HOBBIT, I am faced with the hardest decision of my life. After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I remain grateful to Peter, Fran and Philippa Boyens, New Line and Warner Brothers and to all my crew in New Zealand. I’ve been privileged to work in one of the greatest countries on earth with some of the best people ever in our craft and my life will be forever changed. The blessings have been plenty, but the mounting pressures of conflicting schedules have overwhelmed the time slot originally allocated for the project. Both as a co-writer and as a director, I wlsh the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director”.

Well on Sunday (June 6), Del Toro definitely had more to say on all the brouhaha over on the TheOneRing.net’s message boards:

My commitment to the project demanded enormous sacrifices both in personal and professional terms. The consequences of which will ripple for years. I relocated my entire life and family to New Zealand and first came on board in 2008. So – while the cited delays, contractual complexities or obstacles, cannot be attributed to a single event or entity – you will simply have to believe that they were of sufficient complexity and severity to lead to the current situation. Trust me on this, leaving NZ and the Hobbit crew is extremely painful. As stated before- a wealth of designs, animatics, boards and sculptures is left behind representing accurately my ideas for Mirkwood, Spiders, Wargs, Stone Trolls, etc, etc and everyone (PJ, FW, PB and myself) has the same goal in mind: to try and ensure the best possible transition of the movie to a new director.

Del Toro is obviously heart-broken when he says:

Perhaps even sooner than we may anticipate we will all look at the finished film and then – I will tear up whenever I recognize a set or a creature or a quirk created under my supervision. Everyone on these boards will get two movies. Me? I will be watching filmic family albums. Photos of my children from far away. I hope you will understand how delicate the subject is for me.

He concluded with:

I am not here, however, to provide a blow-by-blow of what happened, but to assure you, as I have, that it has been the toughest situation of my life…Beyond that- I am simply no longer an official voice for these projects. Be good, be well- and I invite you all to follow me into the next phase of my filmmaking journey.

Sincerely

GDT

I feel for the guy. I really do. But as Del Toro reiterated, it was time to go and he wished the crew of THE HOBBIT heartfelt success. In the meantime, Peter Jackson and the studio are still looking for a replacement. Jackson told Stuff.co.nz last week that he would even consider directing the films himself to protect Warner Bros. investment and thus saving the local economy of Wellington, New Zealand millions of dollars.

Jackson said November was now the earliest start date for shooting, but it depended on finding the right director. “I just don’t know now until we get a new director. The key thing is that we don’t intend to shut the project down. We don’t intend to let this affect the progress. Everybody, including the studio, wants to see things carry on as per normal. The idea is to make it as smooth a transition as we can.”

Seems like we’ll have to wait a little longer to return to Middle Earth to follow Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and the 13 dwarves on their quest to find the treasure guarded by the evil dragon Smaug. Produced by both New Line Cinema and MGM, as of right now THE HOBBIT films have release dates of December 2012 and December 2013.